Update!

Well I don’t know why but two spelling tests later I seem to have let go a bit. Maybe it’s the super busy schedule we are keeping…maybe its the great attitude Dylan has about it…maybe its that he’s gotten 100’s on all of them but I seem to be rolling with the punches. He has been doing well on all of his work and is really loving it. I spent one morning this past week helping out and getting to know his new friends and his teacher. We had fun and I think I feel so much better about his whole experience. I was a bit apprehensive about his class before but after sitting down with all his classmates and his teacher I am much more at ease about the whole thing.

Ella is doing well too. except for one big thing…the CRYING! OMG she will not stop crying every morning and through out the day. She has even had to make another trip to the “principals” office. We are going to attempt a bit different routine next week and let Shane take her and maybe that will help. I am hopping it is just a routine change and adjustment. Shane did spend a few days away this week on a business trip, maybe that was it…I am crossing my fingers and hopping for the best. Thankfully her teacher is super helpful and is working with her too.

I have been working hard and haven taken on some new projects at work that have me learing new things and developing a huge headache…One day we will be able to slow down…one day…

More parental confusion

Dylan had his first ever spelling test today. I don’t know why but after studying every night this week I found myself overwhelmingly  invested in the results. Is that wrong? I did not make a big deal of it with Dylan but deep down I was shaking in my boots for him. Does his ability to do well on a simple spelling test reflect on me? If he fails do I fail as a parent? I still don’t know. Right now he loves school and it is not hard to get him to study but what happens in high school when I can no longer control those study habits (or worse yet don’t know/remember the answers myself, I already had to call in a lifeline on his first grade math)…

 And what about sports why do I not feel the same about sports. Dylan has fun with soccer (he had his first practice yesterday by the way), and I feel like thats all that matters, he may not be naturally gifted but the teamwork and enjoyment are all that count. Or am I wrong? My hubby believes that once kids get to like 4th or 5th grade they should have to try out for a team and either be a great player or be cut. The fear of the cut though would and has stopped many a person from even trying (myself included).

I guess I just don’t know how I feel about all this school aged mother stuff yet.

Right now I know I’m happy that Dylan had fun at soccer, like half the class couldn’t figure out the stupid math “partners” thing we had trouble with earlier this week  and he got a 100% on his spelling test!!!

Summer Recap The Finale

Painting

So when asked his favorite activity of the summer my son’s response was: Painting my room! That’s right we used our free quart of Glidden paint to be-stripe one wall of his room. Of all the fun things we did this summer that is what he chose as his absolute favorite. We spent one afternoon measuring, taping and eventually painting his room. He and Ella did lend a hand with the lower parts of the wall (I only had to repaint a little J ). It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Here he is just beaming at the finished product.

 

There’s a Fairy in our house

BIG, BIG, BIG weekend at our house!

Dylan lost his first ever tooth!

We were having fun playing at the lake, in walks Dylan, “My tooth came out!” and  there it was bloody hole and all! Ewwwww!!! The tooth fairy must have brought him some guts as he got it in his mind he needed to take on some new challenges in the water! He attempted water skiing, but never could get up. Thanks to a quick lesson from cousin Conner and Addi he did discover his new favorite though. Knee boarding! Despite the falls, spills and getting whacked in the head he kept on going! Ella tried too, she loved it a little less but still had fun!

The fairy also set up Dylan’s long stacked in the corner drum set, and music abounds from the house again.

The fairy also removed our old broken freezer and replaced it with the worlds loudest, but non the less WORKING dishwasher. The fairy has delivered from the stone ages and for the first time in 3 years I might get rid of my dish pan hands!

Thank You Fariy!

Summer Recap Part 3

 The Childrens Museum

the crew in the big rocking chair

We spent one afternoon out with our neighbors and buddies. We went to Winston Salem to the children’s museum. The kids climbed Jack’s beanstalk (all but chicken Ella that is), made pretend doughnuts at the Krispy Kreme factory,

making doughnuts

dressed up, walked on elevated rolling hills (that Ella actually did surprisingly enough), shopped at the pretend grocery store

grocery store

and just had a grand time. The played most of the day, then we went to McDonalds where they played some more. I vaguely remember going to the children’s museum in Denver as a kid and thinking the grocery store was just the best thing ever. I know they appreciated the break from the norm and had fun.

Summer Recap Part Due

Staycation/Birthday

Happy Birthday Shane and Ella

We celebrated Ella’s birthday during our “stay-cation” this year. We spent a week at Shane’s grandparents lake house just boat riding, hanging out and having fun. We threw two parties for Ella and Shane’s birthday while we were down there. I know I say this every year but this will truly be the last year I have separate parties. Me being the over analyzer, over planner and worry wart I always am, I bought too much food and counted on way too many people actually showing up. In the end poor Ella got all together jipped. Her first party was supposed to be Shane’s dad’s side of the family, some friends and coworkers, I planned and prepped for like 20-25 and in the end 8 showed up (and that included the 4 of us). The second party for Shane’s mom’s family was a bit more populated but none the less still minus some promised guests. In the end Ella had fun, Shane had fun and I tried not to let it get to me. We had a weeklong vacation and some good family time, and that is all that matters in the end.

 

Dylan jumping in

Ella jumping in

While we were there the kids got super brave in the water, jumping off the pier and swimming like fist. Dylan grew to love the tube and wanted to ride all day every day. My chicken Ella grew some guts and decided to try water skiing! She got strapped in Amaw Cindy and Emmie held her up in the shallow water. Shane gunned it and Ella skidded on her bum across the water. For her first time she did wonderfully. It was rather hysterical to the shore side viewer but none the less something she wanted to try and we made it happen. She hasn’t asked to go again though and has remained far away from the tube as well. Dylan did not muster the gumption to even try skiing. 

Dylan behind the boat

Both kids both got into fishing while we were there. Papaw Dean got both of them their own fishing poles and they were put to great use. They still will not bait the hook or even touch the fish for that matter. They both cought fish though and managed not to get any hooks caught in anything vital.

one of Dylan's fishfishing

H-e-double-hockey-sticks on Wheels

***Disclaimer***

No children, pets or vehicles were damaged or harmed in any way in the making of this blog!

 

So school is back in full force, and the resulting affects are in full force at our house too…

Being still, calm and quiet for 6 hours a day seems to mean that everything needs to hang loose at home. The kids are wired the second they hit the car. We breeze out of the parking lot windows down, music up (kids bop, is a lifesaver), and the talking going non stop. They are pretty much guaranteed to have at least one melt-down a night usually more like 4 or 5. They can not seem to sit still and seem to have developed a whole new sense of what good behavior is.

According to my hubby this is just a boy thing but Tuesday my son just blew my mind…

I told him and I quote, “Go get in your seat!” Some how he took this to mean go get in the car, climb from the back seat to the front, climb over the gear shift and moms purse and get in the drivers seat. Then my reiteration of “Get in you seat!” obviously meant…START the car!! Makes perfect sense right?!?

Well if your a 5 year old I guess that is what it means, guess I’ll have to get one of those new fangled five year old dictionaries.

***Disclaimer***

Did I mention the kid wasn’t ACTUALY harmed just his little ego and a small portion of his behind.  

Summer Recap Part 1

To kick off the summer recap series our first memory is a day tip we actually took the week before school let out.  This was a definite favorite of the whole clan:

Dylan and Ella with Thomas

Tweetsie Railroad

 To kick the summer off right we went to Tweetsie to see Thomas the Tank Engine. This was a big treat for Dylan he is such a huge fan of trains. We had also told him that if he worked extra hard in school he would get a special treat at the end of the year and this was it! We drove up to Blowing Rock, walked around in the hot sun, riding rides, panning for gold, getting tattoos (the temporary kind) and yes riding on Thomas! The kids had a blast and can’t wait to go back. It was quite the long day but well worth the smiles.  Daddy’s dream came true and all of us rode on a chair lift. Yes, that’s right little 3 year old and 5 year old kids dangling so high up in the air. I was a freakishly nervous about the whole thing but to them it was no different than the carousel we rode on next. By the time we got home we were all tuckered out and had some great memories.

Ella and Mommie on Thomas

 

Dylan and Daddy on Thomas

 

riding the plane

I kind of thought about leaving them there...

Weekend Worriors

We trudged through the weekend like a bunch of troopers. The kids hung with me while we hunted down dance-wear for Ella’s big debut. She will be starting a preschool class tomorrow. It is kind of a teaser class where she will get to explore lots of different styles of dance. Apparently dance-wear is only something you need in the evenings because all our local places (by all I mean the two that are with in 20 minutes of our house) are only open after 3 on weekdays, so I loaded the kids up and drove to the other side of Greensboro about 40 minutes to get Ella all outfitted. We accomplished our mission though and Ella is ready to start tomorrow.

I actually went out with my sisters-in-law (well two out of three) Saturday night. We had some dinner and an overall blast just chatting and being kid free. I rarely if ever do this (seriously, its been like two years) and enjoyed myself. I’m also making a resolution to that more often, lol!

The kiddos trudged off to school this morning and I hit the gym before work, back to our schedule.  

Stay tuned for summer recaps starting this week…

New Years Resolution

So instead of doing New Years resolutions, I have decided to do a new school year resolution. As everything else revolves around school in our house, why not this too…So my new school year resolution is what you ask? I’ll give you one guess…

Loose weight, you say?? Ohh, yeah that too but no…

Blog more… yep that’s it!!! You got it!

I know I kind of took a hiatus this summer but truth be told we were pretty busy, and well, I was pretty lazy. Summer tends to do that too me. Most people say they gain weight in the winter when they are not as active, well I gain it in the summer. When I must stay inside to bask in the glory of air conditioning.  It gets all kind of hot and humid and I get all kinds of cranky and crazy.

So over the next few weeks I will do a brief summer recap (just the highlights). Actually Dylan will be picking what I tell you about, it is our version of the back to school, what did you do this summer paper. 

Both kids have started back to school Dylan is in the first grade this year. His only comment when entering his class for the first time was, “Where are all the toys?” Hahaha little do you know Dylan, little do you know…So far he is liking it despite only having two friends from last year in his class, and only being 4 days in. Ella is only one day in and despite being super excited she still got sent to the principals office on the first day. During ”rest” time she cried and yelled keeping the rest of the class up and forcing her teacher to remove her from the class… We had a long talk on the way home and hopefully she will become used to it as time goes by. She is new to the full day, eating lunch, resting and all that jazz. She is going 8-2 five days a week this year, just like a big kid. What will I ever do with myself for all those kid free hours (besides my house work, yard work, and work work that is)?

 

 

 

         Here are first day pictures!